Seabird tagging feasibility for the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy

Following the completion of the ScotWind Leasing round, seabed Option Agreements were put in place for 20 new offshore wind farm projects in Scottish waters, with a capacity in excess of 27 GW. However, the Habitats Regulations Appraisal carried out in relation to the Sectoral Marine Plan (SMP) for Offshore Wind1 highlighted the potential for significant, negative cumulative impacts on some populations of seabirds. Consequently, several of these lease areas, off Scotland’s east coast, are considered to be under the highest levels of ornithological constraint, meaning developments cannot proceed unless evidence can be produced to demonstrate that impacts are at, or can be reduced to, an acceptable level. The SMP Roadmap of Actions highlighted the potential value of seabird tracking studies for producing this evidence. This report aims to build on the SMP Roadmap of actions by: • Producing a summary timeline detailing the key tasks for a seabird tracking project from inception to delivery; • Producing recommended protocols for tagging, covering tag types, capture and attachment methodologies; • Identifying sites where additional tagging work is both feasible and necessary through consultation with local researchers, ringers and fieldworkers and site visits.